Mr.
Giraldo, why cycle across America? For what reason, for what
purpose?

My
motivations are numerous, simple and complex. As a sportsman, it
is for the joy of the ride. As an adventurer, it is for the many
gifts of discovery. As an author, it is for the experience that
enables me to share the story with others. As a student of
anthropology, it is to quench my never-ending thirst for
knowledge. As a history teacher, this crossing will grant me
a better understanding of our American Journey. It will allow me
to witness first-hand, the lives of ordinary and extraordinary
Americans, as I travel across our majestic country. The most
important reason of all belongs to the educator within me. To my
former, present, and future students, I seek to deliver a lesson
in commitment. I wish to teach about the value of establishing
meaningful goals in life, preparing thoroughly, and working
consistently towards achieving these goals. My intention is to
prove to my students the astonishing power of ideas coupled with
the raw force of human action. Ideas, by our hand, become
realities. What we attain in life is in great measure a product of
our own will and dedication. We are what we repeatedly do.
Excellence is not a single act, it is a habit.  Aristotle.